Arise.

 "Soon afterward, Jesus went to a town called Nain, and his disciples and a large crowd went along with him. As he approached the town gate, a dead person was being carried out—the only son of his mother, and she was a widow. And a large crowd from the town was with her. 

When the Lord saw her, his heart went out to her and he said, “Don’t cry.” Then he went up and touched the bier they were carrying him on, and the bearers stood still. He said, 

“Young man, I say to you, get up!” 

The dead man sat up and began to talk, and Jesus gave him back to his mother.

 They were all filled with awe and praised God. “A great prophet has appeared among us,” they said. “God has come to help his people.” This news about Jesus spread throughout Judea and the surrounding country." Luke 7:11-17

You didn't have to be IN the Georgia Dome during the 2012 Passion Conference for God to move. 45,000 people in the Dome, and another 42,000 watching online, and God showed up. In such powerful ways.

I could literally write for days, just about the incredible things that have happened in the last through days during and through Passion. But there was something so unbelievably powerful about the story in Luke 7.

Think about the scene here, Jesus is entering this city with a large crowd already at his side, and he walks straight into another large group of people. As soon as Jesus sees this widow mourning, his heart breaks for her and he has compassion on her. Through the massive crowd, Jesus sees this one woman who is torn apart, broken; first a widow and now without a child, and just then he feels great compassion and love for her. 

After he says the words 'Don't cry' to her, I imagine a quiet falling over the crowd. Why? Because who enters a funeral procession and tells the parent of the dead to stop crying? Clearly, Jesus, because he already knew what was about to happen. 
He walks over to this stretcher that the boy was carried out on, places his hand upon it... And simply, but firmly tells the boy to get up. 

Get up, arise, awaken.

And instantly, the he sat up and began speaking. Alive.

Louie Giglio taught on this passage so well, that his words have stuck with me. 

He asked if we, were in the middle of our own funeral procession. If we were being carried out of town for burial. 

If we were in need of a command from Jesus to ARISE. 

Jesus sees us in the middle of the crowd. He singles us out in the midst of our mourning, even when we feel as though we are unnoticed. The God of the universe has compassion for us. And then, the powerful act of his love? He calls us to awaken from the dead. 
Healing. Strength. Power in Him.

There's a lot to be done. This world needs to be impacted, with full force. 

27 MILLION people enslaved.

4.5 BILLION people who don't know Jesus.

It's time for us to arise.

Time for us to get up in the middle of our funeral procession, and become alive in Christ again.

After the crowds had witnessed Jesus raising the boy from the dead, news of him spread in the surrounding country, and the people PRAISED GOD for all they had seen. 

We've got to arise. Arise from doubt, arise from pain, uncertainty, shame, darkness. 

And when our generation rises up for the sake of the Gospel, our Father's name will be praised and His power, His might, and His glory will be spread throughout the entire world.

Get up. Rise up.